WEST Africa's biggest ICT and phone manufacturing company, RLG, has commissioned a $50 million Technology City in Ilesha, Osun State.

Called the "RLG/Adulawo Technology City," the facility will be involved in the training of youths to assemble and repair various electronic devices as well as produce the items from its facility. In addition, it is expected to create over 10,000 jobs both directly and indirectly.

Speaking at the official launch of the City, Mr. Roland Agambire, Group Chairman of RLG, noted that gone were the days where oil was the mainstay of the world economy. He pointed out that ICT was the new money spinner and the RLG/Adulawo Technology City was an ambitious project that would play a major role in the technology revolution that is sure to come to Nigeria.

He noted that the dream of setting up such a facility was propelled by the leadership and vision of the state governor, Rauf Aregbesola, whom he stated supported the idea from the outset, especially because it has as its main goal the creation of jobs and the transfer of technology.He stated that although Africa is the wealthiest continent, it has not been able to maximise its potential. "RLG, as a Pan-African company, has the ambitious dream of creating wealth for African youths and leading them out of poverty through technology," he said.

Agambire disclosed that the company's initial investment of $50 million was an expression of its commitment to the vision, adding that it would spend more because there was the need to expand into fabrication which would enable the facility handle more complicated electronic devices.He said that so far, 5,000 indigenes have been trained from RLG's facility in Ghana but that the remaining 15,000 indigenes will be trained and equipped at the new technology city.

While calling on everyone to see the RLG brand as Nigerian because its products will be made here in the country, he urged all to patronise the company's products which include phones and computers in order to help create more jobs and wealth for fellow citizens.

According to him, "RLG has the best warranty policy in the country and we are also very innovative, affordable and user-friendly."

Governor Aregbesola commended RLG for its decision to invest in the state and help create jobs.He stressed that the factory located in the Technology City will be producing mobile phones, tablets, television sets and computer systems, both desktops and laptops."While in full production capacity, it will directly employ 800 people while over 15,000 indirect jobs will be created round the state through the enterprise from sales and repair points. It will impact the state's economy through taxes, rates and levies, add to the state's GDP, create wealth and bring development to the community where it operates."

Governor Aregbesola said that the City was also a demonstration of the government's resolve to partner with the private sector through the creation of an enabling environment and providing adequate infrastructure for rapid industrialisation and job creation.

Also speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Bambo Bashorun, ICT Expert and Project Director, commended the governor for keeping alive the quest to ensure the transformation of Osun through the use of ICT. He said the Technology City will become a hub that will impact positively on the ICT industry in Nigeria and by extension the whole of West Africa.

The RLG/Adulawo Technology City has a capacity to assemble 5,000 mobile phones, and 2,500 computers daily. It has fully equipped training centre called the RLG Institute of Technology, a Research & Development Laboratory complete with a Green Technology Bio-mass plant which will provide cooking gas for the staff quarters and generate 3KVA electricity.

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Hmm! this is a welcome development for our country. This another of unlocking the inert abilities in Nigerians. This diversification bid in a step in the right direction. I wholeheartedly welcome and support the vision of His excellency, the governor of Osun state. He is investing on posterity which I do believe will stand the test of time God willing. This will also give rise to other auxiliary firms springing up which also will give employment to many Nigerians. I sincerely pray this vision be sustained.

Anytime one reads the likes of these bunch of propaganda on the news, the instant response is to laugh but deep in one's heart, it is sadness galore. Unknown to the initiators and campaigners of those bad and controversial initiatives, there are thousands of organisations gathering their pronouncements as data for varied research purposes. Their actions and inaction(s) form the bases upon which our progress as a people are being judged. No wonder, some employers would prefer nationals of tiny countries to position of leadership because they think our minds are not matured enough. Complaints abound!

In the last 2 decades, materialim based poverty ravaging our polity continues to bequeth poverty of vision, poverty of honor and overall poverty of proper critical thinking on the people. It's getting worse considering the worrisome band wagon effect.

One should keep wondering what the parochial (surrogate) members of CLAPPING PARTY in support of 'every' Osun govt.'s pronouncement have been prodding their minds about concerning:

(1) What has become the lot(s) of the loud mouthed 'opon imon' MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY? If nothing, how much has been spent/wasted/misappropriated?

2) When shall aircrafts begin utilizing the alleged Airport with longest tarmac? What is the total cost burden on Osun citizens?

3). What is the progess report about 'opon imon' so far? Was the first batch of 150,000 completed as planned? Has the batch for the new academic year starting last September 2013 done? Who is charge?

4). How many schools buses has been paid for so far to move students living afar the schools? How many will be delivered this year? From where are they coming from?

5. In all these initiatives, where are the ACADEMICIANS who form the bedrock of initiative drivers and think tank of ALL developed nations? Where are our own scholars?

Only miracles by the likes of the fabled 'AJANTALA mythology can build telephone MANUFACTURING industry with meagre $50m? HABA! Except that, it is deceit upon deceit. In computer village Ikeja, Lagos, as far back as 2005, I knew hundreds of tiny shops rented by Chinese, Koreans and Taiwanese businessmen where they assemble different kinds of phones and assessories. If that is what Osun Govt is talking about, it will be better to gather students from Technical Schools in OSUn enclaves and open up shops for them. They will do it better! It is a fact! Many millionaires will be created among them rather than allow a foreigners keep exploiting us. They will never stop laughing at us. Ghanaian? There's "the more you look the less you see" caricature in this one.

Cell-phones can be conveniently assembled in a ONE THOUSAND NAIRA per month rental shop profitably anywhere if electricity is available. Let us stop this macabre dance of shame.